College Basketball Betting - Tuesday Night's Best Bets

Gonzaga Battles Michigan State and Memphis Takes on Kansas in Two Top Tuesday Night Games

Game-night: 11/17/2009

Tip-off: Gonzaga and Michigan State at 8:00 pm EST and Memphis vs. Kansas at 10:00 pm EST

The #1 Kansas Jayhawks and #2 Michigan State Spartans take to the hardwood tonight in a couple of games that will either expose the top squad’s flaws or legitimize them as serious contenders for the NCAAB Championship.

The Michigan State Spartans host the Gonzaga Bulldogs in a game that last year would have meant the world but this year might mean, well, the world. Gonzaga is actually a much better team than I believe a lot of NCAAB betting fans think.

The Kansas Jayhawks, led by the awesome Sherron Collins, should have no trouble beating up on the Memphis Tigers and their new coach, Josh Pastner, right? I’m not so sure. The Tigers don’t have the talent, but Pastner studied under the amazing Lute Olsen at the University of Arizona.

Let’s take a look at both games.

Gonzaga Bulldogs vs. Michigan State Spartans

Tip-off: 8:00 pm EST

NCAAB Odds: Michigan State -11

Analysis: Michigan State is the #2 ranked team in college basketball right now, but the college basketball betting fans didn’t believe in them before the season started as they were +1400 to win the NCAAB Championship while teams ranked below them were favored ahead of them in the BetUS sportsbook.

Does that even matter in tonight’s game? Nope. What does matter is that the Gonzaga Bulldogs have a player that could seriously take on State’s best player, point guard Kalin Lucas, in Steven Gray. Gray had 16 points, 7 assists and 5 rebounds in Gonzaga’s first game of the year. The Bulldogs had four of their starting five players score in double figures in that first game which means that they like to share the ball.

Michigan State is definitely more talented but Gonzaga is better team than the 11 point spread indicates. If State was favored by 6, I might be all over them in this, but 11 is just too much. I have to take the points and the Bulldogs in this game.

Pick: Gonzaga Bulldogs at +11

Memphis Tigers vs. Kansas Jayhawks

Tip-off: 10:00 pm EST

Basketball Odds: Kansas -11 ½

Analysis: The Tigers might be competitive but losing by 15 to Kansas would be a victory for Coach Josh Pastner and the young Tigers. Memphis will make the NCAAB Tournament and they are definitely a team that could challenge for the whole enchilada in two to three years, but right now, they should simply be outclassed by the Jayhawks.

Pastner isn’t ready to outcoach Kansas Coach Bill Self and nobody on the Tigers’ squad can deal with Sherron Collins. The Tigers should play their hearts out and they might keep it close for a while, but the Jayhawks come at you in waves and Memphis won’t have an answer when Cole Aldrich and Collins start to dominate in the second half of this game.

This will be a close game for a half. Then, Kansas’s talent will shine through and the Jayhawks will roll in the second half.

Pick: Kansas Jayhawks at -11 ½